Him
by Renaflower
Summary: Princess spends time with Ben after encountering Elliot in Bowerstone


Him.

There was never a moments silence with him around. She had never experienced anything or anyone like him. Logan was always quietly dutiful to the kingdom regardless of their thoughts of him. Her mother was reserved in her nightmares until the day she died. Sir Walter was quiet in his thoughts until he got drunk, but then he only snored after hours of yelling. Jasper, never talked much other than teaching her lessons. Elliot, as vibrant a person could be he was always aware of the appearance he had to keep up. Reaver, well. She always believed his eyes said more than he let out.

Then there was him.

Of course he was more talkative when he had liquor inside of him and he was for lack of a better word as Walter would describe it "Pissed."

He threw his arm around her shoulders "Another round on my friend here!"

Roars of joy erupted around them as she hissed at him and threw some coins onto the counter.

He looked at her and grinned at her face red and flaring up "Oh come on and join in!"

"Ben, I said I would buy YOU a round of drinks."

"Awuh come on! Celebrate! Live a little!"

_Live a little_

The words stung her and she tensed up averting her gaze. It had been months since she had sacrificed villagers so her first love could live. She had waded through bog, snow, marshes and everything else with the only thought keeping her warm was returning to her love. Her Elliot. Her resolve to finish her journey quicker so she could run back and cry into his arms and be done with the rest of Albion. At least until tonight. After months of mercenaries throwing derogative names, and Hobbes gnawing at her ankles she had finally returned to him. Just not the way she had planned it. She had thought she was doing a good deed rescuing a seemingly lovely woman's fiancé. Well at least until she jumped off the platform and into the sewer ruined basement. There she found her first. For moments they watched each other in silence, her eyes screaming 100 different emotions. Perhaps the woman was delusional and thought that her Fiancé was down here with her Elliot, that thought continued her strength through the Hobbes until he confirmed it.

He was due to marry Linda.

All because of her leaving to start the resistance.

All because of her.

She didn't know what she felt first; embarrassment, betrayal, disgust, anger or even regret. Instead she did what she was taught to do as a Princess, Not to show her emotion and deal with it in private. That would have to wait though. As they neared the door to _Linda_ he pulled her aside and told her he would leave Linda for her. Again the emotions came back, but instead of killing a Hobbe, she turned on her heel and marched through the door. She had half a mind to tell Linda who this boy really was but as he pulled Linda into an embrace she couldn't stay longer and left while feeling his longing gaze upon her.

She pulled herself out of the door and through the raining streets of Bowerstone with no sense of direction. The warmth and atmosphere of the Pub couldn't even pull her out of her thoughts when she passed it, until she felt someone grab her hand. She turned around to the blonde rebel soldier who was now next to her breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Princess. Hellllllllllooooooo? Oh shit."

He pulled her out of her thoughts again and pulled her away from the crowd and into the garden to an area not affected by the earlier rain.

"You're doing that thing with your eyes. Again."

She looked at him feigning confusion

"I'm not sure what you mean?" She replied simply

"When you would rather be somewhere else than here. Now I've seen it a few times, and it's got me thinking, where would you rather be than with this devilishly handsome soldier?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She wanted to laugh but all she could manage was a crack of a smile. He wasn't lying about himself being handsome. During their journey she had often lost track in thoughts about him. When realising her thoughts she put her thoughts back to Elliot; doing so now would only leave her in tears.

He sighed after several moments and looked away. "It's not that Elliot guy again?"

She huffed. After a night out drinking Walter had shared his dislike of Elliot to Ben and his opinion of how Elliot would fare against a Chicken. The Chicken being the obvious winner in Walter's eyes.

"Look I know I haven't heard much nice things about the guy but I bet he has plenty." He started chuckling "Like I bet he could fill a dress nicely" and with that he roared laughing at his own joke.

It wasn't until after a few minutes he started to recover from his hilarity and regained his composure

"Sorry Sweetheart, it just came out I swear. You know me; a lack of a filter."

She didn't respond to that but rather his first statement "' I'm not the right person to ask about that. You should ask _Linda_."

"Linda?"

"The woman from the orphanage" She took the beer from his hand and started drinking it. Ben watched her confusingly before motioning to the bar keep for two more. He wasn't used to her being so open but even in his drunken state knew it was a rare and delicate moment and not to ruin it.

"I'm afraid I don't follow." He was sure he did but he wasn't sure he wanted to. As if this woman hadn't gone through enough with having Logan as her brother and planning on usurping him. Not to mention the change from goose feather pillows to sleeping on her arm.

"He's engaged to Linda, after I saved him. After everything." She started, still quite at a loss as to begin describing what was wrong. She could probably imagine her mother turning in her grave over how she was opening up to Ben. She felt his hand start rubbing her back as a maid came out with their drinks.

After a few more drinks she was as bad of a state he was in

"I royally decree screw him!" She slurred punched her hand into the air

Ben chuckled "Yes your majesty but maybe not so loud?" He gently lowered her fist as he saw guards start turning their heads. "I think it may be time to get you into bed"

"I don't have a bed." He helped her up and put her arm around him, leaning her weight onto him. He should have known she was a light drinker. They then made their way to the sewer hideout.

"Figuratively."

"My first decree will be I get to sleep in my bed."

"Uh huh"

"Then I will decorate the Court Room pink!"

"Really?"

"You will be the official decorator!"

"Will I?"

"I will decree it!"

He chuckled as he opened the door into the hideout "If you say so, now. Be a good princess and not wake up the others. If you stay quiet the whole time you'll win a prize."

Her eyes lit up like a 4 year old and her lips turned upwards but firmly shut. He wasn't sober enough to walk completely straight but he wasn't drunk enough to not see how cute she was being.

He lead her down the pathway and through some more doors, waving past Kidd, She kept a solid finger on her lips and her arm around Ben.

Kidd shook his head at the scene and watched them stumble through and past him

The two stumbled through the base, every time they knocked into a wall they burst into giggles before shushing each other and continuing.

Eventually he helped her into the room that she was staying in; he helped her sit down and moved to go towards his living arrangements until he heard her quietly say his name.

"I feel not good."

"Have you never had so much to drink?"

She shook her head sadly and he moved to sit next to her. She then as if on impulse leaned against his chest. He gazed down at her unsure of his next movements. Or words.

"Logan never let me drink. He thought I would make impure decisions."

"And would you?" He chuckled at the thought of her younger and drunk at a party.

She thought about it while feeling his heartbeat pound against her "I don't know."

He felt quite awkward as they sat there in silence. He had never been in this position before, normally with a female and a bed they would be doing something he assumed the Princess never dreamed of. Unsure of what to do with his arms he wrapped one around her to stabilise her and the other just on the mattress. The only sound being Swift & Walter yelling at each other drunkenly.

He focused his attention back to her

"So, do you think Elliot would look better in one of your dresses or would Logan?" He chuckled in an attempt to take her mind off the sickness. He waited a few minutes for a response before checking on her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had slowed down, she must have fallen asleep pretty quickly. He smiled down at her and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. He rearranged the both of them and promptly fell asleep.

Oh Avo have mercy Walter thought as his head throbbed from last night's intake of Wine. He tried to remember the night; he had lost 50silver to Swift and drunkenly argued with Page and some of the men. Infact he swore the Princess was out that night and he didn't see her return.

"Balls!" He exclaimed and ran towards her room "Please Avo, let her be in here."

He opened the door and looked in. He was expecting her to be there.

"FINN!" He yelled in shock

He was just not expecting her in the arms of Him.


End file.
